Bed of Lies
by snarkysweetness
Summary: What could possibly happen when Skye and Ward are undercover as a married couple for weeks on end and forced to share a bed while pretending they don't have feelings for each other? Or the one in which I try to fit in as many tropes as possible.


**Title:** Bed of Lies  
 **Author:** snarkysweetness  
 **Rating:** NC-17  
 **Pairing:** Skyeward  
 **Summary:** What could possibly happen when Skye and Ward are undercover as a married couple for weeks on end and forced to share a bed while pretending they don't have feelings for each other? Or the one in which I try to fit in as many tropes as possible.  
 **Warnings:** Smutastic goodness.  
 **Disclaimer:** If I owned canon we wouldn't need no motherfucking fanfic to fix this mess.  
 **Author's Notes:** This takes place in AU land where Ward isn't Hydra and Skye is still just his pain-in-the-ass partner.

"See something you like, rookie?" Ward teased with a cocky, shit-eating grin as he glanced at her from over his shoulder.

Skye averted her eyes, hoping her cheeks weren't red. "Nope, not at all," she lied as she finished buttoning up her shirt.

"Liar," he muttered.

She shot him a glare just as he pulled on a shirt. She couldn't help but stare for a long moment before pretending to check on her hair in the mirror.

They'd been undercover for three weeks and while the struggle of resisting the urge to kill one another had passed a new struggle had presented itself. One rooted in the fact that they were two hot, single people stuck sharing a bed every night to keep up their cover that they were newlyweds in love. And he didn't help matters by strutting around their bedroom with a towel wrapped loosely around his toned waist and his six-pack glistening from his shower.

Sure, she had self-control, but a woman could only endure so much before she snapped and threw her supervising officer down and had her way with him.

She was only human after all.

Skye felt him press against her before she caught sight of him in the mirror.

"Don't forget your wedding ring, baby," he whispered into her ear. The heat from his breath radiated through her body, leaving her sticky and uncomfortable. "Don't want the neighbors talking," he 'tsked' as he wrapped his arms around her and pressed her against the dresser.

"Is this really necessary?" She hissed irritably. She'd spent the past two years successfully resisting her attraction to him and she was not going to be undone because she couldn't separate reality from them playing make-believe. Once they were back on the bus he'd be right back on his bullshit and she'd continue to pretend she wasn't completely, head-over-heels in love with him.

"You never know when they're watching," he whispered, staring down into her blouse.

Skye rolled her eyes as she glanced up at him with a 'look'. He'd always been fascinated with her tits. Too bad his attraction seemed to end there. Despite becoming partners, and good friends, he still treated her like she was his idiot rookie who couldn't be trusted on her own.

There'd been a time, after she'd been shot, that she stupidly thought maybe he loved her back, but as soon as she was out of the woods his walls went right back up and she made the decision to get over him.

If he was too stupid or damaged or whatever to get his head out of his ass, then she wasn't going to waste her feelings on him.

Of course, when she caught him looking at her like that it made it hard for them not to resurface.

Hell, at this point she didn't even need a relationship. She'd settle for some good, dirty, no-strings fucking. She hadn't been with anyone since Miles and it was the longest she'd ever gone without a good dicking.

"Can I help you?" She snapped before she said 'to hell with it' and ripped his pants off.

"Ward! What the hell!" She cried as he reached his hand into her cleavage.

"Hold still," he hissed, keeping her pinned to the dresser as he adjusted the camera hidden in the gore of her bra.

Skye exhaled in disappointment.

 _Idiot_.

"Are you done feeling me up?" She complained after a full minute of him groping her.

Ward glare up at her. "Next time I'll leave the lens visible, so we get made," he growled before shaking his head and returning his eyes to her breasts. After another minute of his fingers struggling to get the damn thing back in place and hidden in the fabric he pulled his hand out, accidentally brushing her nipple as he went.

Skye could feel how hot her cheeks were, but she defiantly ignored that as she stuck her hand into her bra to give her boobs a swoop and scoop to adjust the girls. Once she was happy with how they looked, she buttoned her top button to keep Ward's eyes off her cleavage.

"See something you like?" Skye asked, staring up at him with her hands on her hips to get his attention. His eyes were glued to her chest again.

"Just making sure you didn't fuck up my hard work," he lied.

"Liar."

He shot her a glare before pulling on his tie. "Remember, you're supposed to be making friends with the housewives to get them to spill secrets, so try being yourself less."

Skye narrowed her eyes. Yeah, she suddenly didn't find him sexy anymore.

"Excuse me, but these women love me. If they didn't, would they have invited me to host high tea today?"

"They think you're a circus attraction," he muttered, running his fingers through his hair in the mirror before glancing at her reflection. "You're not actually wearing that, are you?"

Skye rolled her eyes. "Yes, I am. Because 'high tea' is when they get together to have edibles and get drunk at noon. Now, go off to your thrilling pretend job as an accountant and try not to kill someone out of boredom," Skye teased, reaching up to adjust his tie.

"Try to get the wives more intoxicated than you get yourself."

"Bye, honey," Skye scowled.

"See you tonight," he teased, leaning down to kiss her goodbye.

It wasn't anything to write home about, just a routine, boring peck on the lips, but it still left her flushed.

She really hated him.

* * *

"Were you able to get anything out of them?" Ward asked, sliding his hand up her shirt.

Skye resisted the instinct to scowl at him. She suspected he was having a bit of fun with this cover. He hadn't been this handsy the last time they'd done this. And she wasn't sure what it meant, but she did know two could play that game.

"Hmm, well, maybe," she whispered into his ear, running her hand along his inner thigh. "If you think finding out that Susan is banging Debbie's husband is important. I also got to witness a real-life cat-fight complete with drinks being thrown. It was like being in an episode of _The Real Housewives_."

"Fascinating," he replied tersely.

"Is that necessary?" He growled through gritted teeth a moment later.

Oh, so he didn't like it when she played the loving wife?

Too bad.

"You never know who might be watching," she 'tsked', one hand up his bare back while the other continued to cup the bulge in his pants.

"Dammit," he groaned before pulling her into his lap and burying his fingers in her hair. "Balikov is watching us, _sweetheart_."

Skye wrapped both arms around his neck and leaned in with a smug smirk. "Better put on a good show then, _sweetheart_."

After all, they were just two innocent, blue-collar, young newlyweds with money troubles- _not_ spies trying to be recruited into a sex trafficking ring.

And Skye was _not_ going to enjoy making out with Ward. Not one bit.

Ward pulled her against him and kissed her hard, leaving her knees weak.

It was easy to forget this wasn't real and that they had an audience. The things he did with his tongue…Well, Skye was desperate to know how well he used it in other places.

Skye ran her nails along his scalp and wrapped her legs around him, accidentally brushing against his bulge. An involuntary moan left her mouth, then another when she realized he was hard.

"Take me inside," she ordered, leaning her head back to give him access to her neck. Screw the mission. He was hot, she was horny, and she needed him to fuck her into submission.

Hell, they could even keep the blinds open to really sell it to the neighbors. She didn't give a damn. She just needed to get off.

Ward lifted her up by her ass as he stood and carried her towards the front door. He stopped to fumble with the knob and Skye found herself giggling into his neck. Seriously? Super spy couldn't get the door open?

"Hurry up before we have to fuck on the porch bench," Skye teased, playfully biting his earlobe. "That might be against protocol."

"Shut up," he grumbled, kissing her again. They stumbled into the house a moment later and Ward shoved her against the entry table to keep them from falling on their asses.

"Grant!" She complained as he ripped open the buttons on her shirt before palming desperately at her breasts. He buried his face between them and Skye opened her legs to pull him closer, her hands going for his belt.

"Yes," she moaned as he dug his fingers into her waist and sucked at her nipple through her bra. He kicked the door shut and kissed his way up her neck.

"Are the blinds upstairs closed?"

"Who fucking cares?" Skye grumbled. Honestly, were they going to use a telescope to peer into their bedroom?

"Well, unless you actually want to fuck me, rookie, we need to take this somewhere where they can't watch."

Skye's heard sunk into her chest. Of course. This was all a part of the act. He didn't want her. She felt so fucking stupid.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she lied. "You just bruised my ass when you threw me," she complained, averting her eyes.

This time, when he kissed her neck she felt nothing, just like him.

"Your office blinds are always closed. We can hang out in there for a few minutes, mess up our hair, lose some clothes, then come out and close the rest and set the alarm." Her voice was mechanical, and she couldn't wait to shove him off of her. She couldn't believe she'd thought even for a second that he wanted her. He was nothing more than a robot who couldn't feel. She needed to stop this silly infatuation she had with him. It was getting pathetic.

Skye wrapped her arms around him as he carried her upstairs, so he wouldn't drop her. Once they were alone in his office she got away from him as fast as she could and kicked off her shoes and smudged her lipstick. They had to make this look real after all.

"Why are you so pissy?"

"I told you-"

He rolled his eyes and reached for her jeans. "It can't be that bad-"

"Don't touch me!

Just because we have to feel each other up for the neighbors doesn't mean you get to touch me when we're alone," she snapped.

She could see she'd struck a nerve, but she didn't give a damn.

"Well, you're going to have to take them off."

He tugged his own pants off, then his shirt, and this time she didn't even watch.

Once he was down to nothing but his boxers Skye did the same, leaving just her panties on. She'd considered leaving the bra, since he didn't deserve to get to see her tits, but to hell with it-he could see what he was missing.

"Jesus, you weren't kidding," he muttered, reaching out for her and then pulling back, thinking better of it.

Skye didn't have a mirror, but she could already see a huge bruise forming underneath her ass.

Great, she was going to be in pain for days and she hadn't even gotten off. What a waste.

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well be more careful next time. It's been long enough, I'm taking a shower. You can lock up," she said dismissively, leaving the room without waiting to hear him complain about it being too soon.

Skye grabbed her vibrator on her way to the bathroom and locked herself in. Just because Ward was useless didn't mean she couldn't get herself off. And she was going to do it as many times as it took to erase the memory of his touch.

* * *

"Goodnight," Ward muttered after what felt like ten years of them lying awkwardly beside one another.

Skye still wasn't speaking to him, so she turned to her side and closed her eyes. She wasn't in the mood to do this dance tonight. In fact, she had half a mind to pick a huge, public fight with him so she could banish him to the guest room and she could enjoy this huge bed to herself instead of sleeping as far away from him as possible and being uncomfortable.

"I said I was sorry."

Skye continued to ignore him.

"Fine, don't fucking talk to me."

Good, he was finally getting the hint.

Skye slept without waking up every few hours to ensure she was still on her side of the bed for the first time since they'd moved in.

* * *

When Skye awoke nine hours later she found herself wrapped up in Grant Ward's arms.

She blinked in confusion, wondering what was pressed against her leg. A moment later she realized it was his dick, just as she also realized both of his arms were wrapped protectively around her and her face was buried in the crook of his neck. If she tried to untangle herself she would wake him, so she was faced with two choices: lie here, cuddling with Ward or wake him up and deal with the awkwardness.

Unfortunately, the decision was no longer hers to make.

"Um…hi?" Skye offered awkwardly, her voice breaking.

Ward stared down at her through heavy eyelids, still not completely awake. "Morning?"

"Morning," Skye whispered. She considered asking him to get off her, but she was enjoying the weight of him. It wasn't as good as sex, but it felt nice to have a hard, firm man on top of her.

"W'time is it?" He mumbled through a yawn.

"I don't know," Skye admitted. "But it's Saturday. No pretending to crunch numbers today," she teased.

"Then why're we awake?" He muttered, pulling her against his chest and closing his eyes again. "Sleep in," he yawned, burying his face in Skye's hair while snuggling up against her.

Skye did her best to control the pounding in her chest. He was now pressed firmly against where she needed him most and if she made one move they'd be dry-humping. Which actually didn't sound too bad…

"So pretty. Smell good."

Skye made a face. Was he talking in his sleep or- "Fucking hell, Ward," Skye moaned, snaking her fingers through his hair as he ground his hips against hers and kissed her neck. "I don't think they're watch-" He cut her off with his mouth, taking her face into his hands.

Skye lay there in shock, sure this was just a part of the act. That was, until he slid a hand into her panties and thumbed her clit.

"Are we really doing this?" Skye's voice rose in a high pitch as she gripped his arm.

"Shut up," he whined in-between kisses. "You talk too fucking much," he complained, kissing her harder.

"Thank fucking Christ," Skye wept in relief. It was about-fucking-time.

Skye shoved him onto his back so she could mount him. She didn't waste any time kissing him and slipping her hand into his boxers. She wanted to do this before he did something stupid like change his mind.

He slid both hands up the back of her thighs slowly before cupping her ass. "Take your panties off," he growled, toying with the lacey fabric.

"Do it your damned self," Skye quipped.

"Fine," he replied before literally ripping them off.

"Grant!" Skye whined as he flipped her onto her back. "Those were my favorite pair!"

"You don't need panties," he whispered with a mischievous glint in his eyes before disappearing under the covers and burying his face between her thighs.

Skye gasped, and her breath hitching in her throat. She'd never wear panties again if it meant he kept doing _that_.

"Oh yeah, keep doing that," she moaned, relaxing into the mattress.

"Oh Skye," he moaned, kissing her inner thigh.

"Skye. Skye. Skye!" Ward yelled, shaking her awake.

Skye's eyes flew open to find Ward staring down at her, worried. She blinked up at him in surprise. "Why'd you stop?" She muttered before realizing she was still wrapped up in his arms, their limbs tangled together. She must have fallen back asleep.

"Stop what?"

Skye's cheeks went warm. "Nothing," she lied.

"Were you having a nightmare?" He asked, worried. "Are you okay?"

Waking up from a hot sex dream to find the object of your lust still pressed against you? Yeah, that was a nightmare all right.

"I'm fine. But I can't breathe with you on top of me." Not that she minded, but if they stayed like this she wouldn't be responsible for her actions.

"Oh, right, sorry," he muttered, letting go of her. Once he was back on his side of the bed she found she missed his warmth.

"You sure you're okay?" He asked, reaching over to cradle her cheek, his voice soft.

Skye couldn't help but give him a smile. Affection for him coursed through her body. It was sweet that he was worried. Plus, he was adorable with his hair mussed up like that.

"Yeah, it was nothing."

He stared at her for a long moment before pulling away. He laid back and stared up at the ceiling with a frown. A minute later he began to toy with the edge of the covers.

"Do you still have nightmares about being shot?"

Skye froze and stared at him in surprise. "You remember?" It had been so long ago and neither one of them had ever brought it up, so she'd assumed he'd chosen to forget all the nights he'd stayed at her bedside to keep her safe.

"I remember everything."

Skye slid back under the covers, unsure of what to say.

"I'm sorry about last night," he whispered, glancing in her direction. "This intimacy crap is hard for me, but with you it feels… _easier_ , and I got carried away. I'm sorry if I was a jerk."

"It's fine," Skye lied with a shrug. "I'm used to it."

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing," she sighed, regretting opening her mouth. She was not in the mood for a fight. She just wanted to go back to sleep.

"It's not nothing. Hey, look at me."

Skye glanced over to find him next to her, staring at her with a sad, wounded puppy look.

"Talk to me."

Ugh, fine. If he was going to cry about then they'd do this.

"I'm sick of you constantly talking down to me like I'm an idiot. I get it, you're the best, blah blah blah. And it must suck to be stuck with me as a partner, but we are partners and you don't have to treat me like I'm still your rookie. I'm a good agent too but you treat me like I'm useless. I'm over it. When we get back I'm going to ask to be partnered with Trip from now on. You can finally be free of me."

He blinked at her as he slowly sat back on his heels, looking like she'd kicked him. "I don't want to be free of you," he whispered, his voice cracking. "And I don't treat you like you're an idiot. And you're not useless. Where is this coming from?"

"Then why are you always constantly hovering over me like I'm going to fuck up?"

"I'm trying to protect you," he stammered.

"I don't need you to protect me!" She snapped. "You trained me to protect myself!"

"Maybe you don't need me anymore, but I need you!"

"What the fuck does that have to do with you not trusting me to keep myself alive?"

"Because I can't lose you!"

Skye opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

Had he admitted to needing her?

What the fuck?

"Don't you get it? I don't hover because I don't trust you, I do it because the last time I left you alone in the field you got shot! You almost died! I almost lost you! I can't let that happen again! There's no magical alien drug to save you this time!"

"Grant, I'm not going to die," she whispered, reaching for his hand. "Take a deep breath," she instructed. She hadn't expected this outburst from him and though it made her feel a kind of way she needed him to calm down before he had a meltdown.

"You don't know that," he whispered, voice shaking as he gripped her hand. "I can't go through that again. I can't lose you."

"You're not going to lose me," she promised. "You're far more reckless than I am. You're totally going to go first," she said with a half-smile, trying to lighten the mood. "Besides, you'd get over me dying after like a week."

"No, I wouldn't," he insisted. "It would destroy me."

"Why?" Skye asked uncomfortably. She wasn't even sure he liked her half the time. Now he was what? Admitting he-Skye swallowed hard. No. He couldn't be.

He stared into her eyes with a 'look'. "You know why."

"I really don't-"

He cupped her cheek again and Skye realized this was it. They were finally going to have a real kiss. Skye and Ward, not Cory and James or whoever else they were pretending to be this week. It had only taken them two years to get here.

"Grant," she whispered as he leaned in, sure her heart would stop beating.

"Shh, I've got you," he whispered, meeting her eyes as he stroked her cheek.

Skye searched his eyes and once she was sure this was real she leaned in.

Grant drew her against his chest before taking hold of her face with his hands and kissing her.

Skye wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him back. This was a million times better than all of their fake kisses combined. She never wanted to have a fake kiss with him again.

"Kids! We've got groceries!"

They broke apart like teenagers being caught by their parents.

"Shit, it's Coulson and May." Skye jumped out of bed and went for the dresser, needing to put pants on.

Grant slid up behind her and gently ran his palm over her ass. "Does that hurt?"

"What-Oh. I guess." She'd forgotten all about her bruise. "Put a shirt on!" She ordered. If they were caught together for real…She wasn't ready for one of them to be forced to a new assignment because they'd been caught 'fraternizing'.

"You're cute when you're flustered," he teased, smiling down at her.

Skye gave him a 'look'. Now was not the time to be adorable. "I mean it!"

"Why? Do you think my nipples will turn Coulson on?"

"Skye? Ward?" Coulson called from the top of the stairs.

"Grant!" She hissed, shoving a shirt into his arms. "I'm serious!" She ordered as she checked her hair in the mirror. Once she was sure it looked acceptable she opened the door to find a smirking May and a suspicious Coulson on the other side.

"Morning."

"Were you two-"

"Sleeping in? Yeah, sorry," Skye said dismissively, leading him away from the bedroom. "Did you bring syrup? I'll make pancakes."

"Nice boxers, Ward," May called as she followed them downstairs.

"Thanks!"

Skye mentally shook her head. This was going to be a long check-in.

* * *

"Trouble in paradise?"

"Huh?" Skye muttered, too focused on staring at her fake husband to notice the mob wife herself was speaking to her.

"You and that ridiculously handsome husband of yours?"

Skye turned her attention to Carla.

"What do you mean?"

Sure, it had been awkward as hell with her 'parents' visiting. He'd taken the couch last night after having one too many beers during dinner and they hadn't had a moment alone since their big kiss to discuss what it meant.

"The two of yous is usually all over each other. What gives?"

Skye smirked. Ah yes, they were no longer horny newlyweds. She'd forgotten they needed to keep up playing grab ass for the op.

"Well, my parents are here," Skye replied with a shrug.

Carla stared at her for a long moment before waving her finger in her face. "That isn't it."

Before Skye could invent a lie her ridiculously handsome 'husband' waltzed over to place a chaste kiss on her lips.

Great, more fake kisses. Just what she needed.

"Hey baby, how many burgers you want?" He asked, staring down at her with a smile, making her feel things.

"Just one," she said, pulling him in for a real kiss. They had a cover to keep up after all.

When they finally broke apart he stared down at her with a goofy smile before leaning in and kissing her again.

There it was. A real kiss.

Skye smiled up at him as he caressed her cheek for a moment.

"I'll get you a plate then."

Skye hadn't even realized they'd been holding hands until she had to reluctantly let go. She watched him return to the barbeque with a pout. She missed him already but damn he had a fine ass.

"Look at how adorable you are. I remember when Nicky and I were that in love."

She felt her ears turn red and took a long drink from her wine.

"So, when are you two kids getting pregnant? I know you don't have this big house just for the two of you."

"When they can afford it," May butted in, shooting Skye a 'mom glare'.

Skye cleared her throat, pretending to be embarrassed. "Mom, not now," she hissed, giving her a 'look'.

May glared at her for a moment before rolling her eyes. "Fine, but if he knocks you up we're not paying for it."

Skye stared down at her feet, waiting until she and the mob wife were alone again before glancing up. "I'm sorry about her," Skye began but Carla waved her off.

"Don't be, sweetheart. We know about your money issues," she whispered, reaching over to pat Skye on the back of the hand.

Skye blinked, doe-eyed. "You do?" Of course she did; they'd made sure of it.

"Well, don't take offense, but we look into all the neighbors. Have to know who's living near our children. And we know your mom and dad own the house. And about your little stint wearing orange."

Skye glanced over at her 'hubby' and gave him a slight nod before returning her attention to Carla.

"Please don't mention it around James. I know he tries not to, but he resents me for it. It's why we can't afford this house or…" Skye teared up. "Kids. He's the only one working because I can't."

Carla patted her hand with a small smile. "Sweetheart, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Not many people can hack the CIA. It's just a shame you were caught."

Dammit, Skye knew that was a bad part of their cover. Who wanted to hire someone who'd been caught?

"You know…Nicky might have work for you and for dimples over there."

"Oh, Carla, as much as I appreciate it I don't think I could handle sitting around an office all day. And he might look tough, but he is not cut out for construction."

Carla laughed loudly. "Oh, sweetheart, you're too cute! Of course you twos aren't cut out for the construction business! But Jimmy and I own many others. Let me talk to him and we'll be in touch."

She pulled Skye into a hug and she shot Grant a thumbs up from behind her back. They were finally in.

* * *

Or so Skye thought. It had been three days and her 'loving husband' was growing moodier by the day. They hadn't heard a peep from the mob. Skye had tried to assure him to wait until it was just them again, but it had been a _whole_ twelve hours since May and Coulson had left them and still nothing.

Sometimes he was a real idiot.

"Would you stop pouting!" Skye scolded, kicking her house shoes off before climbing into bed. They hadn't slept in the same bed since the morning they'd been interrupted, and she wanted to pick up where they left off-not worry about the mission.

"I can't! The longer this takes the longer we're stuck here!"

Skye glared at him for a long moment, her temper flaring.

"I'm sorry you hate being married to me so much! Maybe I should leave you to finish this alone!" She huffed angrily.

Oh no, he was giving her that wounded puppy look again.

"Skye, I didn't mean…" he reached out to cup her cheek with a sigh. "I just miss the bus and the team, and I hate these people and I am so sick of pretending to be James Taylor. I'd much rather be Grant Ward again."

She let out a long sigh and leaned into him. "You can be Grant Ward right now," she whispered, pressing her lips to his.

Grant moaned into her mouth and pulled her into his lap.

Skye wasn't sure how long they sat there, kissing and tangling their fingers into the other's hair, but when they finally came up for air she couldn't remember what day it was.

Grant trailed his lips over her collar bone and Skye dug her fingers into his scalp.

Fuck, he was good at this.

Hell, he was good at everything.

And there was one thing she needed to be sure he was good at but before she could suggest they get on with it his burner phone began to blare.

"Ugh," he groaned as he kept an arm around her waist and reached for the flip phone.

"Sir?"

Skye pouted and buried her face in his neck, sure there would be no sex tonight.

"Uh…I mean, I guess? Right. Okay. We'll get on it."

He hung up and threw the phone across the bed before leaning back with a loud groan.

"What?"

"He wants us to have a huge fight to 'lure' the mobster in. He says you did a good job conning the wife and now we really need to 'sell' it."

Skye made a face. She thought they'd been selling it pretty damn well but if a huge, public fight was what the boss wanted then Skye supposed she could pull something out from her sleeve.

"Want to sleep on it?"

Skye sighed. "Yeah, we can decide what to scream at each other in the morning."

She let him wrap his arms around her as they laid down. It occurred to her that they still hadn't discussed them but now was not the time. It felt nice to share the middle of the bed with him and honestly, after nearly a week of putting on a show for the marks and a separate show for her fake parents she was exhausted.

"Goodnight Missus Taylor," he teased.

Skye rolled her eyes. "Goodnight Mister Taylor."

 _Jackass._

* * *

"Skye, wake up," Grant whispered into her ear.

"No," Skye mumbled, having buried her head under the covers once the sun started coming in through the windows, interrupting her slumber.

His arms were still wrapped protectively around her, and he kissed her shoulder as he gave her a tight squeeze.

"But we have a show to put on."

Skye huffed with a pout and pulled the covers tighter over her head. "They can wait."

"Sweetheart, the sooner we do this the sooner we can leave this suburban hell and return to our real lives."

"Our real lives suck," Skye complained. "This bed is a million times more comfortable than our little bunks."

"I'll make you waffles. With bacon."

That was all she needed to be alert.

Skye poked her head out from the comforter. "Will you wear nothing but an apron when you do it?"

"How about an apron and boxers? I need to protect my Johnson."

Skye stared back at him for a long moment before deciding that was acceptable.

"Fine, meet me on the porch in five minutes with coffee."

"Shouldn't we discuss what to do first?"

Skye smirked. "I've got it all figured out, you just play along," she teased. She leaned up and kissed him before throwing herself out of bed and disappearing into the bathroom.

Five minutes later Skye strolled down the stairs dressed in Grant's huge cloth robe with her hair pulled into a loose bun. She'd made sure to spritz her face, shoulders, and clavicle with rosewater for a 'sweaty' look and did her best to look miserable and sick.

"Hey, babe, can you come in for a second?" Skye called from the doorway, not bothering to step onto the porch.

Ward stared back at her curiously, but he did as he was told.

"I thought you wanted coffee?"

"We need to talk," she whispered, letting the security door swing closed behind him, and neglecting to close the actual door, before clearing her throat. "I'm pregnant."

"HOW IN THE HELL ARE YOU PREGNANT?" Grant screamed, his face turning red.

Skye's jaw went slack as she stared up at him, trying not to laugh.

"Who is he? I'll kill him." He growled under his breath, meaning it.

Skye cleared her throat again. "That would be you, _honey_ ," she said slowly, giving him a 'look'.

He stared down at her for a long moment before he realized what she was up to.

"Right, we're not us right now…"

Skye nodded and reached up to pat his cheek. "But it is very adorable that you're willing to kill a man for me."

"Damn right I am," he muttered, pulling her close and leaning in to whisper in case they were being watched. "As amused as I am by _this_ ," he said, motioning to her stomach, "how does this help the mission?"

Skye smiled up at him mischievously. "Because, who can resist helping adorable little Cory and James Taylor and the little one they have on the way?"

"You're evil," he complimented, leaning in to kiss her.

"Now, now, save that for when we're alone; he's supposed to be freaking out right now."

Grant rolled his eyes but played along.

"How in the hell are we supposed to afford this?"

Skye shrugged. "I can freelance-"

"No," he said sternly. "You're not supposed to be anywhere near a computer. It's a part of your probation."

Skye rolled her eyes. "I won't get caught this time."

"Don't even think about it."

"Well, what the hell else are we supposed to do? It's not like crunching numbers pays the bills as it is. You think it'll pay for diapers?"

A knock came from the door and they turned to find the mob boss himself standing at the porch.

"Sorry to interrupt, kids, but I'd like to borrow James for a minute."

Skye glanced up at 'James' before lifting a hand to her mouth. "That's fine. Excuse me," she muttered before rushing to the guest bathroom. She turned on the faucet to make it seem like she was covering puke noises and pressed her ear to the door to eavesdrop.

"The entire neighborhood couldn't help but overhear you-"

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't be, son. How would you like to earn some extra money?"

Skye smirked. This was almost too easy.

* * *

Skye tossed uncomfortably with a sigh. She glanced over to Grant's empty side of the bed with a frown. She'd gotten so used to sleeping beside him that she couldn't sleep with him gone.

After the Russian had offered him some very shady assignment they'd faked an even bigger fight in the kitchen with the windows open and when he'd returned home late they had another one and she'd banished him to the guest room.

A part of her wanted to sneak in to see him but she knew she had to get used to sleeping alone again-there wasn't exactly room for two in their bunks.

The bedroom door creaked open and she glanced up to find him sneaking into the room.

Skye smiled.

 _Guess I'm not the only one who couldn't sleep._

Skye pulled the covers back for him, but he leaned over the bed and kissed her forehead instead.

"The Balikov's bedroom looks right into ours," he whispered. "But I don't want you to be alone, just in case."

As if she wasn't in love with him enough as it was, he had to go and be romantic on her and shit.

"Just come to bed," she whispered, reaching for his hand.

He gave her a smile and kissed her forehead again. "I'll sleep on the chaise. Tomorrow we can make-up," he teased.

Skye let go of his hand reluctantly and watched him grab a spare blanket and head for the lounger near the window.

"I don't like this. You're in the perfect position for a sniper rifle. Just come to bed."

"The windows are all bulletproof," he muttered as he tried to get comfortable. "Try to get some sleep, will you? Our pretend baby needs it."

Skye rolled her eyes.

 _Idiot._

* * *

Skye shot out of bed in a cold sweat, her heart-pounding. She reached for Grant and when he wasn't there the fear in her chest grew and she began to panic. Throwing her covers off, she looked around the room wildly, sobbing in relief when she spotted him fast asleep on the chaise.

She ran both hands over her face and did her best not to cry.

It had been months since she'd had a nightmare, and she wasn't sure what had triggered it, but she'd relived being shot once again. Only this time the dream was different. Instead of it ending with her bleeding out on the ground, it was Grant. And the thought of him dying terrified her more than reliving her own trauma again.

She knew that Cory and James were supposed to be fighting but she didn't give a damn. Skye needed Grant and if anyone was honestly up spying on them at 3 a.m. then oh fucking well.

"Hmm, what's wrong?" He asked as Skye slid onto the chaise and wrapped her arms around him.

"I had a nightmare," she whispered, resting her chin on his chest.

He gave her a look she couldn't quite decipher in the dark before shifting onto his back, so she could lie on top of him. He kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arms around her protectively. "I've got you."

"I know," she whispered, closing her eyes. Nothing would ever get her with Black Kevlar around. "And I've got you."

A few hours later Skye was surprised to wake up in their bed, with his arms still around her.

"Morning, gorgeous."

"Hey," Skye yawned, turning over to bury her face in his neck. "What happened to the chaise?"

"I wanted you to be comfortable, so I carried you back to bed."

Skye smiled to herself and closed her eyes.

"I need to go to my fake job," he whispered, kissing the top of her head. "Are you getting up?"

"No, I'm pregnant. I need my sleep," she muttered, not wanting to let go of him.

He chuckled and gave her a squeeze. "Fine, get some sleep; I'll see you tonight."

"No, stay," she whined.

"But the mission," he whispered.

"Oh, screw the mission," she complained, pressing her lips to his neck. "I'll make it worth your while."

"As much fun as that sounds, I'd rather us not get made and murdered."

Skye groaned and turned over, so he could release her. "Fine; but bring your pregnant wife home some Ben & Jerry's so she forgives you."

Grant laughed and leaned over to kiss her goodbye. "Promise."

* * *

"You are an insufferable jackass!" Skye screamed, wishing she had something to throw at him. Instead she shoved him against the bathroom counter angrily and dug around in the drawers for the medical kit Jemma had packed for them.

Grant reached for her waist, shrugging like everything was fine. "It's just a scratch-"

"You were shot!" Skye screeched, pulling away from him angrily.

"It didn't go in, it just grazed-"

Skye shot him a death glare, daring him to finish that sentence. When he was smart enough not to, she ripped open his shirt and began patching him up while ranting about how stupid he was.

"I thought I fell in love with a nice, boring agent with a stick up his ass but _nooo_ , I just had to fall for the one who does stupid, reckless, dangerous shit on missions just to raise my blood pressure!"

Grant laughed and pulled her between his legs with a smile. "You love me?"

"Not anymore I don't!" She snapped.

"I love you too," he offered, still grinning.

"If you think you can sweet talk me into forgetting how stu-" Skye froze, his words sinking in. "You what?"

Grant hopped off the counter and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. He pushed the hair out of her face and stared down at her with a smile. "I love you."

Before Skye could say anything, the doorbell rang and her anger returned.

"Don't you dare," she warned.

"Skye, I have to. This is the mission."

"You might get killed this time!"

He took her face in his hands and stared down at her seriously. "I promise, I will come back."

"And I promise if you walk out that door we're going to have a very real fight."

Grant sighed and reached over her shoulder to grab the tape to wrap the bandage on his wound.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but the longer this mission goes on the more danger we're both in and I want this over with, so I know you're safe."

Skye knew he had to do this and he meant well but when returned home that night he found their bedroom door locked.

* * *

They were on day three of their fight and Skye still wasn't speaking to him. She was used to him doing stupid shit in the field, but it was different now. This was why SHIELD had rules against fraternization because being in relationships with co-workers complicated the fuck out of everything.

"You almost done?" He asked, leaning over her shoulder to annoy her.

"I would be if you stopped hovering," she hissed, continuing to type away.

After nearly dying twice to protect the Russian, he'd earned enough favor for Nikolai Balikov to trust him enough to bring 'Cory' in to do a hacking job for him. Little did he know that she was currently infecting his entire system with a virus that was installing spyware on every computer on his intranet that would transmit everything right to SHIELD.

"How long are you planning to stay mad?"

"How long are you planning to be an idiot?" She muttered.

"Babe," he murmured, leaning down with a pout. "Can we just talk?"

"Done," Skye announced, jumping out of her chair. She didn't even bother to look at him as she showed Balikov the security footage she'd pulled for him.

"She does good work," he complimented, and Skye did her damnedest not to roll her eyes. She couldn't wait to be away from this sexist asshole.

"She's the best," Grant said. She could feel his eyes on her, but she ignored him.

"Come, we will all have dinner," he announced, clapping Grant on the back.

"You two have fun, I'm going home," Skye muttered, gathering her things.

"Nonsense! Carla makes the most amazing bucatini! It's why I angered by mother by marrying an Italian!"

Skye couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Another time. Just the smell of food makes me sick these days."

"I'm afraid I have to pass too; I'm the one who got her pregnant, so I should be there to take care of her."

"I'm going right to bed. I'll be fine," she muttered, not bothering to wait for him to whine about it before storming out.

"You really pissed her off, son!" The Russian laughed loudly.

Skye really couldn't wait to be done with this mission.

* * *

"You're the most stubborn woman alive," Grant sighed as he approached her from behind.

"Well, you knew what you married," Skye snarked, ignoring his reflection in the mirror as she unclasped her necklace.

He sighed loudly. "Look, I get it; I messed up. But you can't stay mad at me forever. What do you say you forgive me already and we'll order a pizza and watch a movie and just relax?"

"If you want to relax I suggest you go jerk off and take a nap," she quipped, turning to head for the bathroom but he was a persistent little fucker.

Skye found herself pinned to the dresser as Grant did his best to give her a 'sexy' smirk. But instead of being turned on she found herself rolling her eyes.

"I could use some help 'relaxing'."

She was very close to punching him in the face.

"There's lotion in the bathroom."

Grant smirked and leaned in to kiss her, but she turned her head, not in the mood.

"It seems to me," he whispered into her ear, "that the one who needs to jerk off and relax is you and I'm more than willing to help you get the stick out of your ass."

Skye turned her head to look at him sternly. "If not wanting the man I love to die because he has a death wish means I have a stick up my ass, then I'm perfectly happy keeping it up there."

"So, you do love me," he grinned.

"You're an idiot," Skye muttered.

He lifted her onto the dresser and settled in between her legs so he could lean in and kiss her. "An idiot you're in love with."

Skye groaned and rolled her eyes again. "I don't know what I see in you," she admitted with a sigh.

"I don't either," he said honestly, "but I'm not stupid enough to question it."

"Oh, the one thing he's not stupid enough to do."

"Is that a smile?"

"No," she lied, finding it hard to keep scowling. She was still mad, but he was adorable, and she had missed him-not that she'd admit it.

"Please forgive me so we can have dinner and sleep in the same bed again and still be speaking to each other when go back home so we can have our first real date."

"What will we do on this date?" She asked, slightly intrigued at the idea of going out like a normal couple.

Grant smirked like he'd won, and she already regretted giving in.

"First, I'll take you to get ice cream because I know you prefer eating crap to real food," he teased. "Then we'll take a walk through whatever city we're in at the time and do touristy things that you pretend to hate but secretly love."

"I don't know how insulting me is winning you any points, Ward," Skye replied dryly.

"Then we'll go to dinner," he continued, ignoring her. "And a good, hearty dinner because we'll need the energy for later."

Skye scoffed. He was such a presumptuous prick.

"And after dinner instead of going back to the bus we'll go to the best hotel in the city, so we can sleep in a real bed instead of our lumpy, crappy beds."

"I do like comfy beds," Skye admitted.

"And I'll buy you the comfiest bed in the world," he promised, making her smile.

"And where will this bed go? In my bunk?"

He leaned in, shrugging as he kissed her nose. "I was thinking it could go in our apartment, where we'd live, together."

Skye fought a smile. "And where would this apartment be?"

"Anywhere you want it to be."

Her cheeks began to hurt from fighting the urge to smile.

"What's the point in having this apartment when we live on the bus?"

"To have somewhere to go home to on the rare occasions we get time off."

"Say I like the sound of all of this? What would we do the other ninety-nine percent of the time?"

"We'll get you a comfortable mattress for your bunk."

"So, would you still stay in your bunk, then?"

"I guess. They're not exactly made for two." He did have a point there. "But I'm sure we could find ways to have alone time."

Skye smirked. "And what would this 'alone time' entail?"

"A little of this," he whispered as he pressed his lips to her neck. "And maybe this." As he slid a hand up her leg. "And definitely this." As he kissed her.

Skye hummed appreciatively into his mouth. "That doesn't sound horrible," she whispered when he pulled away.

"Does this mean you forgive me?"

Skye sighed dramatically. "I don't know, I still think you need to earn it."

"How?"

Oh, she had a few ideas…

"Close the blinds," she ordered, enjoying it a bit too much when he obeyed eagerly. A girl could get used to that.

"Now, on your knees," she said with a huge smile as she gripped the edge of the dresser and kicked off her shoes.

He fell to his knees happily and stared up at her, waiting for more orders.

"Now, beg for my forgiveness."

His excitement died but he still scooched closer and took her hand in his.

"Sweetheart, I am very sorry I was reckless and made you worry. Please forgive me."

Skye pretended to mull it over. "I suppose that's a good enough attempt."

"Babe," he whined, tired of this game.

"Fine," she said leaning forward with a smirk. "I forgive you. Now, why don't you show me what you mean by 'alone time'," she whispered, biting her lip. There was no way in hell they weren't going to take advantage of being alone with a huge bed while they still had the chance.

Relief washed over his face as he jumped to his feet and took her face in his hands, kissing her hard. "I thought you'd never ask," he muttered, kissing her again.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and tugged at the knot in his tie while he ripped her jeans off.

Grant pulled her to the edge of the dresser and moved back to his knees. He wasted no time in sliding off her panties and burying his head between her thighs.

 _Finally._

It was about damn time he put that mouth of his to good use.

Skye dug her fingernails into his scalp as he went down on her.

"Right there," she moaned, holding his head in place. That tongue of his was fucking amazing and moments later she pulled on his hair as she came.

Before she could catch her breath, he was kissing his way up her body, stopping to give her a sloppy kiss on the mouth.

"Why are you such a messy eate-Grant!" She squealed as he threw her over his shoulder. She usually opposed to being manhandled like this, but she had to admit she appreciated the view of his ass from this angle. And that it was in grabbing reach.

Speaking of asses, he gave hers a slap before tossing her down onto the chaise lounge.

Skye leaned back on her elbows with a smirk, watching appreciatively as unbuttoned his shirt and slipped it off.

"See something you like, sweetheart?"

"Not yet," Skye teased, biting her thumbnail while he tugged his undershirt off. "That's better. Now turn around so I can see that fine ass."

"This fine ass?" He asked, turning around and staring back at her.

Skye nodded with a smile. "Take those pants off and get that booty over here so I can tap that."

"As you wish, sweetheart," he said seriously, taking his time taking off his belt, then his pants, and then his boxers. It was like a sexier version of a strip show, minus the music.

Once he was naked, she gave his body an appreciative once-over before opening her legs and making a 'come here' motion with her index finger.

He settled in between her thighs and she took his hands and slid them up her torso, using them to toss her shirt off and he groaned loudly when he realized she wasn't wearing a bra.

"Are you trying to kill me?" He whispered as he stared down at her tits.

"Maybe," she shrugged, taking his hands again and moving them to cup her breasts. "Or maybe I'm just letting you have what you've wanted since day one."

"I fucking love you," he sighed as he leaned down to kiss her. He palmed her tits, rolling them between his hands while he trailed his lips down her neck and chest until he reached her nipples. Taking one into his mouth, he slid a hand down her torso while he sucked.

"Fuck," he groaned, realizing how wet she was as he slid his fingers between her lips.

"Yeah, get on that," Skye moaned, reaching for his dick. She was more than ready to battle that monster right now.

"Soon," he promised, pushing her knees open with his knee before leaning down and running his tongue over her clit.

Skye lazily ran her hand through his hair while she laid back over the curve of lounger, so relaxed her body felt like jello. A girl could get used to this.

"Grant, this isn't a porno!" Skye gasped when he pulled some Cirque du Soleil shit mid-orgasm.

"No, it's better," he whispered cockily into her ear as he held her hands behind her back from behind and finished her off with his fingers.

"Jesus-fucking-Christ, Ward," Skye cried, gripping his thigh to keep herself grounded. How was he so good at this? And how was she going to punish him from depriving her of this for so long?

Grant buried his face in her neck, sucking on a spot that made the back of her knees go weak. He wrapped both arms around her, holding her against his chest while she remembered how to breath.

"Ready for round three?"

The aching between her legs screamed 'yes', but she was in the mood to show off. He wasn't the only one with tricks up his sleeve after all.

"Skye, you don't have to do that," he insisted as she took him into her fist.

"You talk too much," she said, pushing him onto his back while she straddled his thighs. She leaned over him, her curls hanging loose, and pressed her mouth to his. "Just shut up and enjoy."

He wasn't the only one who was good with their mouth and even though she'd told him to shut up he still made the most noise of any man she'd ever been with. She was so used to guys who were 'too cool' to be vocal but honestly this was way hotter.

"Fuck, Skye. Yes." He moaned, gripping her hair while she continued to suck on his balls.

She'd already smeared her lipstick all over his shaft and the more she stroked him the bigger mess it made. She'd need to take care of him later in the shower too.

"Babe, fuck," he groaned, his fingers massaging her scalp. "I'm going to cum if you don't stop."

"Hmm, good," she hummed onto his dick. There were plenty of other things they could do until he was ready to fuck her for real.

He tried to pull her away, but she was far more persistent than he was. Thirty more seconds, a few more pumps of her fist, and her tongue over his asshole was all it took for him to scream her name so loud she was positive the entire neighborhood heard him.

Skye took him back into her mouth and worked what she could fit until he was completely dry.

"Holy shit," he muttered, leaning back and running a hand over his face as she finally came up for air. "You're…I...Fuck, I love you."

Skye smirked and settled into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You're welcome," she smirked, pressing her lips to his.

Grant held her close, kissing her back slowly. They stayed like that until Skye's lips began to ache and she pulled away, needing a break.

But a long make-out session was all he needed to him raring to go again.

His lips went for her neck as he ran his thick shaft along her cunt.

Skye gripped the back of his neck with a moan, wanting nothing more than to slide down onto him and ride him until the sun came up. Unfortunately, they needed to be responsible first.

"Take me to bed," Skye ordered, holding onto him. "We need a condom."

She liked that he didn't need to be told twice. It was one of the great things about his soldier mindset.

He lifted her by her ass and carried her to bed, kissing her as they went. He sat on the mattress, keeping her in his lap, while he reached into the nightstand for the supply of condoms they kept there in case anyone broke in to snoop around.

It was a good thing she'd once taken a peek at the goods with the x-ray glasses, or she would have never thought to pack the magnum size.

"Grant," she whined as he leaned against the headboard, turning her body so she was sitting with her back to his chest. Foreplay was nice and all, but she was ready for the main event.

"Shh, soon," he promised, pulling the bottle of lube they'd been using to fake used condoms in the trash out of the drawer. Coating his fingers in the sticky gel, he wrapped an arm around her to keep her still while running his hand between her thighs. Skye gripped the covers as he slowly took his time lubing up her clit, labia, and opening. By the time he was done she was jello again, and more than ready for him to get on with it.

Grant took her chin in his hand and pulled her face towards his, so their eyes could meet.

"I love you," he whispered.

Skye reached out to cup his cheek, ignoring the fluttering in her heart. "I love you too."

They kissed again, and Skye wrapped herself around him, mentally and emotionally preparing for what was to come. There was no coming back from this. They were jumping all in and if they didn't work out and this blew up in their faces their careers were over. Hell, even if they did work out their careers would probably be over.

She hoped he was worth it.

"Fuck," she hissed as she slid the tip through her folds. Taking a deep breath, she slowly sheathed herself over him, whimpering as he stretched her out. She was thankful he'd been smart enough to use lube.

Skye pressed her hands against his chest, sitting still for a long moment before rolling her pelvis in a circle slowly. It was a tip she'd picked up from some sex magazine to help handle big dicks and he seemed impressed because he was being loud again.

And the blushing smile that came to her lips when she saw the look on his face that send tingles through her entire body confirmed what she already suspected: he was totally worth losing a job over.

Emotions aside? The sex was the best sex of her entire life.

When they were done they sat against the headboard, with her back pressed to his chest, and his arms wrapped around her.

"When did you know?" Skye whispered, drawing small flowers on his arm with her index finger.

"What?" He yawned sleepily.

Skye glanced back at him with a small smile and reached up to caress his cheek. "That you loved me."

His ears went red for a minute and she could see embarrassment creeping over his face. "The day we visited The Academy," he admitted.

That was not the answer she'd been expecting. During this mission, yes. _Maybe_ when she'd been shot. But that far back?

"We were at the memorial wall and I just… _knew_ ," he shrugged.

"Then why did you keep pushing me away?" She'd given him so many opportunities to tell her how he felt and each time he'd closed himself off and run.

He sighed and reached out to play with her curls. "Honestly? You scare the hell out of me?"

Skye chuckled and pressed her lips to his. "You're afraid of me?"

"Yes. You make me feel things I didn't even know were possible. When I think about us I see a future I never imagined wanting for myself and I don't know if I could ever live up to what you deserve. Or if I could be a good husband or father. I mean, hell, I can't even pretend to be one."

Skye turned to face him and placed her hands on his cheeks. "Grant, I don't think either one of us knows what they're doing when it comes to the whole parent thing. It's not like we had good examples. But there's nothing to be afraid of. We'll figure things out as we go along. And you're a good man. It's why I love you."

"I still don't deserve you."

Skye fought a frown. "Yes, you do." She understood he'd spent his childhood being taught he was worthless and he'd spend his entire adult life trying to prove his family wrong. But she didn't need him to prove anything to her. She already knew his worth. "And we're going to work on getting you to believe that."

Grant gave her a small smile and took her hand in his, so he could kiss it. "What about you?"

"Dublin," she answered without needing to think about it. She'd suspected when he'd shut her out because of Miles because his rejection had hurt more than anything had hurt her in years, but she'd been a hundred percent sure when he'd been under the staff's magic and she'd felt completely helpless because all she wanted to do was save him.

"I'm an idiot," he muttered.

"Yeah, you are."

"That night at the bar-That was you telling me, wasn't it? And I was too afraid to get it."

Skye nodded with a small smile. "We could have been doing this if you hadn't had your head shoved up your ass."

"You're so charming," he teased, leaning down to kiss her.

"Shut up, you love me," she muttered, pulling him closer.

It didn't matter how long it had taken them to get here, Skye was just happy they were finally together.

* * *

"I hate to admit it, but you're right Coulson; she's ready for level six."

Skye rolled her eyes as she took her badge back from Nick.

"Thanks for the confidence, _boss_ ," she sassed.

Coulson gave her a wink of support and she shook her head as she left his office.

Her virus has successfully uncovered proof of every illegal enterprise Balikov's crime syndicate was involved in, including the trafficking of gifted individuals. Their mission had been well worth the two months they'd spent under. And the last two weeks of spending every moment she could taking advantage of the newlywed cover hadn't been a waste either.

"Hey you," Skye smiled, leaning up to kiss her-Boyfriend? She wasn't sure if 'boyfriend' did him justice. 'Lover', maybe? 'Partner', definitely.

Grant pulled away before she could make contact with his lips and she raised an eyebrow in annoyance.

"Do you want to get caught?"

Skye shrugged before leaning up and kissing him slowly, for far longer than necessary. "I'm done playing pretend. Who cares? If they fire us, they fire us. But I think they need us a lot more than we need them."

This made him blush. "That might be true."

Skye grinned and reached up to playfully ruffle his hair. "It is."

"You need to give that thing back," he said, motioning to the ring still on her finger.

Skye frowned and stared down at it sadly before motioning to his. "Yours too."

"Right."

They stood there in silence for a moment before he reluctantly pulled his off and held his palm out for hers.

"But it's so pretty," she complained, admiring it again. "Maybe they'll let me keep it."

He laughed. "I doubt it. But I promise I'll buy you a better one."

Skye gave him a 'look', wondering what in the hell that meant.

"It's the only way they'll let us get away with being together," he shrugged.

She stared up at him for a long moment before smirking. "Then it better be a damn good ring, Ward."

"It'll be the best ring," he promised.

Before she could kiss him May appeared out of thin air and held her hand out. "I need those back before Nick has an aneurysm about how much they cost."

Skye sighed and yanked hers off with a pout. "Fine."

"Welcome back to reality," May teased, taking the wedding bands and heading back to Coulson's office.

"Oh, and I'm curious; how long did it take?" She asked, glancing back with a shit-eating smirk.

"What?" Skye asked, pretending not to know that May knew.

May narrowed her eyes on Skye knowingly. "The pool got up to a thousand bucks that I know it's mine so just tell me; was it before or after our visit."

"We don't know what you're talking about," Grant insisted.

May smirked. "So, before.

Thanks for helping me win all that cash," she waved as she strolled off, laughing to herself.

"Can you believe they took bets on us?" He asked, placing a hand on her back, and scoffing in offense.

"Can you believe they didn't offer to let us in on it? That should be our thousand bucks. That would buy an awesome mattress," Skye muttered, already not looking forward to sleeping in her own bunk, despite the fact they'd been awake for over forty-eight hours.

Grant stared down at her with a 'seriously' look and Skye shrugged. "What? I would have totally waited a few more days to fuck you for that much money."

He shook his head and leaned down to kiss her. "Glad to know that's how much I'm worth to you."

"Hey, that's a high price for sex," Skye teased.

"At least I'm a premium fuck."

Skye did her best not to laugh and instead leaned up to touch his cheek. He turned his head and kissed her palm with a smile. She watched him for a long moment, realizing she didn't know how to go back to being just Skye and Ward. She'd enjoyed being his wife, even if it was fake.

"We should get some sleep," she whispered, reaching back to open her door.

"Yeah," he sighed, giving her hand a squeeze before turning to leave. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Why wait that long?" She reached for his arm and pulled him into her bunk.

"I am way too tired for sex-"

She smacked his chest playfully and he laughed before picking her up and carrying her to bed.

It was amazing, they'd started out the year sharing a bed that was way too big for the two of them with a million miles between them and now they were sharing this tiny twin bed, wrapped up in each other despite the discomfort because they didn't want to be apart.

She didn't know how, but she was going to find a way to con Coulson into remodeling these bunks to fit bigger beds.

"Did you mean what you said earlier?" Skye asked, trying not to get her hopes up.

"Yes."

"You aren't even going to ask for specifics?" She glanced up at him, shaking her head.

"No, because whatever it was I meant it."

 _Idiot._

"About that ring?"

"Oh yeah, being engaged or married is the only way they won't reassign one of us to a different team."

Her chest went tight for a moment and she shook the feeling off. "But, it'll just be a faux-gagement? For SHIELD?"

"No," he answered seriously. "I mean, yeah, I have to tell them but I'm not asking you right away. I'm going to make you wait for it until I know it'll be a surprise and then I'm going to pull some romantic shit so epic they'll write books about it."

Skye snorted as she tried not to laugh. Was he being serious?

After a moment of searching his face she realized this wasn't a joke.

"This is crazy. We've only been together for a few weeks-"

"I've been in love with you for years. I'm not wasting more time. And I don't care how long it's been official; I've known since the day I met you were the person I was going to marry, and I don't want to wait to do something we're going to do eventually."

"You're out of your mind," Skye whispered, shaking her head. And so was she, because when he asked she knew she'd say 'yes' and it would be a real 'yes'.

"But you love me." It wasn't a question, just a statement of face.

"Now who's the idiot?" She teased with a shrug.

"Still me."

"Good answer," she whispered as she leaned up to kiss him.

In less than twelve hours she'd gone from the fake Missus Taylor to the future Missus Idiot and she honestly couldn't wait to be married to him again.


End file.
